Sightings - Friday 28th February 2014

Spoonbill - 20 Poole Harbour from the Bird Boat
Common Crane - 2 Cheselbourne
Ruff - 2 Avon Causeway
Iceland Gull - 2 off Hengistbury Head, 1 off Chesil Cove
KUMELIN'S GULL - immature in field at Abbotsbury Hill
Little Gull - 1 past Durlston
Great Skua - 1 Ferrybridge
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 Stanpit Marsh
Firecrest  - 1 Durlston



Ruff Avon Causeway © Alan Hayden

Sightings - Thursday 27th February 2014

Spoonbill - 4 Lodmoor
Iceland Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 juvenile Ferrybridge and close inshore Portland Beach Road, 1 on beach opposite Rodden Hive, 1 off Chesil Cove
Glaucous Gull - 1 juvenile Abbotsbury fields, 1 juvenile on beach opposite Rodden Hive, 1 juvenile Radipole Lake
Great Skua - 1 Ferrybridge
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland Harbour
Water Pipit - 1 Priory Marsh
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 Stanpit Marsh

Sightings - Wednesday 26th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Ferrybridge, 4 Swineham GPs
GREAT WHITE EGRET - 1 Arne Moors
Spoonbill - 4 Lodmoor
Marsh Harrier - 2 Morden Bog
KUMELIN'S GULL - 1 Abbotsbury Beach
Iceland Gull - 1 Wyke Regis Bridging Camp area, 2 Hengistbury Head
Glaucous Gull - 1 juvenile West Bexington, 1 adult Abbotsbury
Great Skua - 1  Chesil Beach
Water Pipit - 3 Stanpit Marsh
Siberian Chiffchaff - 2 Stanpit Marsh
Yellow-browed Warbler - Knoll Beach carpark area Studland
Firecrest - 2 Hengistbury Head

Iceland Gull Hengistbury Head © Joseph Murphy

Iceland Gull Wyke Regis © Will Bown

Sightings - Tuesday 25th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Poole Park lake
Iceland Gull - 2 Hengistbury
Spoonbill - 4 Lodmoor
Sand Martin - three birds reported at Weymouth


Spoonbills, Lodmoor (c) Will Bown

Sightings - Monday 24th February 2014

Black Guillemot - 2 Portland harbour
Crane - 2 Cheselbourne
Spoonbill - 3 Lodmoor
Glaucous Gull - 3 West Bexington
Iceland Gull - 1 Wyke Regis; 1 Hengistbury
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Stanpit Marsh



Iceland Gull, Hengistbury, (c) Joe Murphy

Sightings - Sunday 23rd February 2014

Manx Shearwater - 2 Portland Bill
Surf Scoter - Ower Bay
Scaup - 3 Swineham GPs
Glaucous Gull - 1 Chesil Cove; 2 West Bexington
Iceland Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head/Southbourne; 1 Wyke Regis; 1 Cogden Beach
Little Gull - 15 Cogden Beach
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland Harbour
Crane - 2 Cheselbourne
Spoonbill - 17 Arne

Sightings - Saturday 22nd February 2014

Red-necked Grebe - 3 Sandsfoot Castle
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland harbour
Scaup - 3 Swineham GPs
Little Gull - 15 Cogden Beach
Iceland Gull - Juvenile on Fleet at Wyke Regis
Glaucous Gull - West Bexington and also Abbotsbury
Spoonbill - 5 Holes bay
Bittern - 2 Radipole
Hen Harrier - 2 Middlebere
Firecrest - 12 Abbotsbury


Wigeon, Holes Bay (c) David Wareham


Red-breasted merganser, Holes Bay (c) Joe Murphy


Buzzard, Holes Bay (c) Joe Murphy

Winter 2013/2014 Hen Harrier and Merlin survey

Please remember to send any sightings of harriers and merlin to Tasie.............


This survey is now in its 30th year and is as important today as it has ever been as these birds still have major problems on their northern breeding grounds.

Help is required again to survey a number of heathland sites for wintering Hen Harrier and Merlin this year. For further information and offers to help please contact Tasie Russell (survey co-ordinator)by email: tasieruss@talktalk.net or by phone on 01929 471414.

Even if you can't help with a formal survey, please send in any casual records to Tasie of Hen Harriers seen anywhere in the county during the season ........with a note of DATE / TIME / LOCATION / NUMBER - males, females / any other information of interest.

Sightings - Thursday 20th February 2014

Eider - 1 Shell Bay
Great Northern Diver - 4 Shell Bay
Black-Throated Diver - 1 Poole Harbour

Great White Egret - 1 Swineham
Hen Harrier - 2 Keysworth, 1 Arne Moors

Purple Sandpiper - 11 Hengistbury sandspit
Great Skua - 1 West Bexington
Iceland Gull - 1-2 Christchurch Harbour, 1 West Bexington
Little Gull - 12 Cogden, 1 Mudeford Quay

Sightings - Wednesday 19th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Longham on South Lake
Surf Scoter - 1 imm off Ower
Goosander - 1 fem Poole Park Lake
Black-throated Diver - 3 Poole Hbr.
Great Northern Diver - 7 Poole Hbr, 4 Knoll Beach, 2 Nothe Fort, 2 Weymouth Bay.
Black-necked Grebe - 11 off Knoll Beach, 11 Poole Hbr.
Bittern - 2 Radipole Lake
Spoonbill - 24 Arne Spit
Marsh Harrier - 1 Radipole Lake
Hen Harrier - 1 Swineham Pt.
Greenshank - 5 Brownsea Lagoon
Kittiwake - 2 off Poole Quay
Little Gull - 16+ Cogden Beach, 2 off Poole Quay
Iceland Gull - 1 1st/w Hengistbury Hd.
Glaucous Gull - 1 imm Brownsea Lagoon, 1 West Bexington.
KUMLIEN'S GULL- 1 probable past Portland Bill
Sandwich Tern - 1 Shipstal Pt Arne.
Water Pipit - 1 Radipole Lake
Black Redstart - 1 Nothe Fort
Siberian Chiffchaff - 3 Swineham Pt.
Firecrest - 1 Suckthumb Quarry Portland.
Brambling - 2 Thorncombe Wood
Corn Bunting - 30 Tarrant Rushton


Webcam Shot of Glaucous Gull - Brownsea Is © Paul Morton BoPH

1st/Winter Iceland Gull - Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy

Sightings - Tuesday 18th February 2014

Scaup - 6 on the Fleet at Chickerell
Black-throated Diver - 2 Portland Hbr.
Great Northern Diver - 3 Portland Hbr, 2 Parkstone Bay Poole.
Slavonian Grebe - 2 Portland Hbr.
Bittern - 1 between Arne Moors and Swineham
Marsh Harrier - 6 Poole Hbr.
Hen Harrier - 1 male Holton Heath
Purple Sandpiper - 2 Portland Bill
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Chesil Cove
Little Gull - 20 Cogden, 12 West Bexington, 4 Portland Bill, pos 3 Poole Hbr, 1 Chesil Cove 
Iceland Gull - 1 1st/W Hengistbury Hd.
Glaucous Gull - 1 ad West Bexington
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland Hbr.
Water Pipit - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Black Redstart - 2 Nothe Fort

Sightings - Monday 17th February 2014

Goosander - 1 fem Poole Park
Red-throated Diver - 2 Portland Bill, 1 Branksome Chine 
Great Northern Diver - 7 Portland Hbr, 1 Branksome Chine.
Black-necked Grebe - 1 Longham Lakes
Bittern - 1 over Arne Moors
Hen Harrier - 1 male Morden Bog
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill, 1 Hamm Beach.
Iceland Gull - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Little Gull - 11 Cogden, 2 Portland Hbr, 2 Chesil Cove, 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Poole Quay.

Sightings - Sunday 16th February 2014

Smew - 1 redhead Swineham GP.
Red-throated Diver - 6 Portland Bill
Black-throated Diver - 2 Portland Hbr, 1 Portland Bill.
Great Northern Diver - 6 Portland Hbr.
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Hbr.
Slavonian Grebe - 4 Portland Hbr.
Black-necked Grebe - 15 Portland Hbr.
Spoonbill - 3 Middlebere
Marsh Harrier - 1 juv Middlebere, 1 Swineham, 1 Wick Hams.
Hen Harrier - 1 male Slepe Moor, 1 male Sixpenny Handley
Purple Sandpiper - 4 Hengistbury Hd, 4 Portland Bill
Spotted Redshank - 5 Swineham Pt, 1 Fisherman's Bank Stanpit.
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Arctic Skua - 1 Portland Bill, 1 over field Cogen.
Little Gull - 9 in field Cogden, 2 Portland Bill
Iceland Gull 1 1st/W off Double Dyke Hengistbury, 1 Christchurch Hbr.
Sandwich Tern - 1 Portland Hbr.
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland Hbr. 
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Hd, 1 Nothe Fort.
Firecrest - 8 Abbotsbury Gardens, 2 Moonfleet, 1 Hengistbury Hd.

1st/W Iceland Gull - Hengistbury Head © Andy Wragg

Sightings - Saturday 15th February 2014

Surf Scoter - 1 Ower (Poole Harbour)
Great Northern Diver - 10+ Poole Harbour/Studland, 13 Portland Harbour
Black-Throated Diver  - 6 Portland Harbour
Red-Necked Grebe - 4 Portland Harbour
Black-Necked Grebe - 23 Poole Harbour/Studland
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Ower (Poole Harbour)
Leach's Petrel - 1 east through Portland Harbour
Marsh Harrier - 1 Radipole Lake
Red Kite - 1 Winterborne Stickland
Great Skua - 1 West Bexington
Iceland Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Little Gull - 1 Baiter, 15 Cogden, 12 Mudeford Quay, 2 Peveril Point
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Short-Eared Owl - 1 Ferrybridge
Firecrest - 2 Studland

Sightings - Friday 14th February 2014

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 2 Ferrybridge
Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Goosander - 1 Poole Park
Greenshank - 2 Baiter
Purple Sandpiper - c. 20 Hengistbury sandspit
Great Skua - 1 Durlston Head
Little Gull - 2 Mudeford Quay, 1 Weymouth Bay
Sandwich Tern - 1 Mudeford Quay
Black Redstart - 1 Reap Lane (Portland)
Siskin - a leucistic individual in Ferndown

Sightings - Thursday 13th February 2014

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 1 Baiter
Velvet Scoter - 1 past Hengistbury
Great Northern Diver - 1 Baiter
Black-Throated Diver - 1 Baiter
Red-Throated Diver - 8 past Portland Bill
Slavonian Grebe - 1 Baiter, 2 Ferrybridge
Great Skua - 1 Portland Bill
Iceland Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Glaucous Gull - 2 West Bexington
Yellow-Legged Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Little Gull - 1 Christchurch Harbour, 4 Cogden, 1 Ferrybridge
Black Guillemot - 1+ Portland Harbour
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head, 1 Portland Bill
Firecrest - 1-2 Hengistbury Head
Snow Bunting - 1 Christchurch Harbour

Other news:  Puffin - 2 were picked up dead on Southbourne Beach today.

Sightings - Wednesday 12th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Black-throated Diver - 1 past Branksome Chine
Spoonbill - 1 over Harland Moor
Hen Harrier - 4 Keysworth/Hartland Moor
Great Skua - 3 past Portland Bill
Little Gull - 1 Ferrybridge, 1+ Cogden Beach CP
Iceland Gull - 1 Hengistbury Head/Southbourne
Glaucous Gull - 1 Lodmoor, 1 Ferrybridge, 1 West Bexington
Black Guillemot - 2 still from Portland Castle

Sightings - Tuesday 11th February 2014

Smew - 1 Swineham GP
Grey Partridge - 2 Maiden Castle
Black-throated Diver - 1 Portland Harbour
Great Northern Diver - 1 Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Bittern - 1 Radipole
Little Gull - 3 near Cogden Beach CP, 1 Chesil Cove
Iceland Gull - 1 Stanpit Marsh
Glaucous Gull - 1 West Bexington
Sandwich Tern - 5 Hengistbury Head, 1 Portland Harbour
Black Guillemot - 2 still from Portland Castle
Puffin - 1 past Durlston
Siberian Chiffchaff - 1 Swineham

Sightings - Monday 10th February 2014

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 2 Ferrybridge
Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Eider - 1 Hengistbury Head
Great Northern Diver - 2 Portland Harbour
Slavonian Grebe - 3 Portland Harbour, 1 off Baiter
Black-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Spotted Redshank - 1 Fisherman's Bank (Stanpit)
Little Gull - 3 West Bexington
Black Guillemot - 2 off Portland Castle
Black Redstart - 1 Hengistbury Head
Firecrest - 1 Hengistbury Head,  1 Durlston
 
Slavonian Grebe in Portland Harbour © Will Bown
 

Sightings - Sunday 9th February 2014

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 1 Baiter Park, 1 Ferrybridge
Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Long-tailed Duck - 1 off Mudeford Quay
Smew - 1 Swineham GP
Goosander - 5 West Bexington, 1 off Baiter Park
Black-throated Diver - 6 Portland Harbour, 1 Swineham Point, 1 Mudeford Quay
Great Northern Diver - 15 Portland Harbour, 1 Mudeford Quay
Slavonian Grebe - 6 Portland Harbour, 1 Baiter Park
Black-necked Grebe - 9 Portland Harbour
Spoonbill - 3 Lytchett Bay, 2 Swineham
Purple Sandpiper - 7 Lyme Regis, 3 Portland Bill
Spotted Redshank - 1 Lytchett Bay
Great Skua - 1 Ferrybridge, 1 Hengistbury Head
Little Gull - 4 Abbotsbury, 1 Chesil Cove, 1 West Bexington, 1 Poole Park/Quay, 1 Lyme Regis, 1 Mudeford Quay
Glaucous Gull - 1 West Bexington, 1 Ferrybridge
Sandwich Tern - 5 Hengistbury Head, 1 Portland Harbour
Black Guillemot - 2 Portland Harbour
Puffin - Dead and dying birds found at Chesil Cove, 3 dead at West Bexington
Water Pipit - 1 Lytchett Bay
Siberian Chiffchaff - 3 Swineham
Firecrest - 3+ Abbotsbury Gardens

Goldeneye at Poole Park © Shaun Robson

Little Gull at Lyme Regis © Andrew Grinter
 
Widgeon at Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy
 

Sightings - Saturday 8th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Goosander - 1 Poole Park
Black-throated Diver - 1 Portland Harbour
Common Crane - 2 Cheselbourne
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Little Gull - 2 past Hengistbury Head, 2 Chesil Cove, 2 Ferrybridge
Great Skua - 1 past Hengistbury Head
Yellowhammer - 200 plus near Briantspuddle

Razorbill Portland Harbour © Roger Green

Dartford Warbler Hengistbury Head © Joe Murphy
 

Sightings - Friday 7th February 2014

Spoonbill - 1 Christchurch Harbour
Red-necked Grebe - 1 Portland Harbour
Great Northern Diver - 9 Portland Harbour
Black-throated Diver - 6 Portland Harbour
Common Crane - 2 Cheselbourne
Merlin - 1 Hengistbury Head
Purple Sandpiper - 5 Hengistbury Head
Turnstone - 28 Hengistbury Head
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Little Gull - 1 Priory Marsh, 1 past Hengistbury Head
Water Pipit - 1 Lodmoor

Sightings - Thursday 6th February 2014

Pale-bellied Brent Goose - 2 Ferrybridge, 1 Baiter Park
Goosander - 1 Poole Park
Spoonbill - 12 Arne
Slavonian Grebe - 1 off Baiter Park
Black-throated Diver - 1 Portland Harbour, 1 off Baiter Park
Merlin - 1 Baiter Park
Purple Sandpiper - 4 Sandbanks, 15 Hengistbury Head
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Little Gull - 1 Radipole Lake, 2 Baiter Park, 4 Ferrybridge, 2 off Mudeford Quay
Glaucous Gull - 1 past Portland Bill
Snow Bunting - 1 Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Wednesday 5th February 2014

Scaup - 1 Poole Park
Goosander - 1 Poole Park
Common Crane - 2 Briantspuddle
Black Guillemot - 1 Portland Harbour
Puffin - 1 past Portland Bill
Kittiwake - 83 past Chesil Cove in five minutes
Great Skua - 9 past Chesil Cove
Little Gull - 1 past Portland Bill, 1 off Branksome Chine, 3 past Ferrybridge
Glaucous Gull - 1 Radipole Lake, 1 Chesil Cove

Sightings - Tuesday 4th February 2014

Scaup - 1, Brownsea
Red-necked Grebe - 2, Portland Harbour (5 sp of grebe present there today)
Manx Shearwater - 1, Chesil Cove
Spoonbill - 24, Arne
Common Crane - 2, Cheselbourne
Black Guillemot - 1, Portland Harbour
Yellow-legged Gull - 2, Middlebere
Glaucous Gull - 1, Radipole
Hen Harrier - 2 (male and female), Middlebere
Black Redstart - 1, Bridging Camp, Wyke Regis, 1 Hengistbury Head

Sightings - Monday 3rd February 2014

Red-throated Diver - 6, Portland Bill
Black-throated Diver - 6, Portland Harbour
Fulmar - 1 'blue phase' bird, Portland Bill
Common Crane - 2, field south of Cheselbourne
Black Guillemot - Portland Castle
Hen Harrier - 1-2, Poole Harbour

Sightings - Sunday 2nd February 2014

Surf Scoter - 1, Poole Harbour (mouth of Newton Bay)
Pale-bellied Brent - 1, Ferrybridge
Great-northern Diver - 7, Poole Harbour
Black-throated Diver - 1, Poole Harbour; 3 Weymouth Bay; 7 Portland Castle
Slavonian Grebe - 16,  Portland Harbour
Black-necked Grebe - 18, Portland Harbour; 7+ Poole Harbour
Red-necked Grebe - 2, Portland Harbour
Spoonbill - 21, Poole Harbour
Purple Sandpiper - 12, Hengistbury
Glaucous Gull - 1, Ferrybridge
Iceland Gull - 1, Ferrybridge
Puffin - 1, Chesil Cove
Black Guillemot - 1, Portland Castle
Water Pipit - 1, Christchurch Harbour, Central Marsh
Firecrest - 7, Abbotsbury Gardens

Sightings - Saturday 1st February 2014

Smew - 1, Longham Lakes; 1 Swineham
Black-necked Grebe - 1, Longham Lakes
Slavonian Grebe - 3, Sandsfoot
Spotted Redshank -8, Swineham
Little Gull - 2, Chesil; 2 Hengistbury
Puffin - 1, Chesil
Black Guilliemot - Portland Castle
Hen Harrier - 1, Milbourne St. Andrew; at least 2, Poole Harbour
Marsh Harrier - up to 15 present around Poole Harbour today
Merlin - 1, Milbourne St. Andrew
Great-grey Shrike - 1, Milbourne St. Andrew
Black Redstart - 3, Hengistbury
Firecrest - 1, Hengistbury